


Woke the F*ck Up

by theprodigypenguin



Series: Steadfast [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Auror, Auror Partners, Auror!James, Boyfriends, Crushes, Cute, Ex Boyfriend, FALMOUTH FALCONS, Fake Dating, Fake Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gryffindor, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, James x Teddy, M/M, Metamorphmagus, Muggle London, No Sex, No Smut, Quidditch, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Sweet, Teddy x James, Witch - Freeform, Wizard, auror!teddy, bad former relationship, edward remus lupin - Freeform, he just likes blue everything, james has a really douchbag ex, james likes blue hair, james sirius potter x teddy lupin, jeddy, just general fake dating and cutsie shit, minister, muggle, national quidditch league, teddy do not approve, teddy lupin x james sirius potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-11-14 14:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18054650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprodigypenguin/pseuds/theprodigypenguin
Summary: When an ex who broke it off because James wouldn't put out re-enters his life and asks to have lunch together, James reaches out to Auror partner Teddy Lupin, who's all too happy to help scare away the little bastard, no matter how he has to do it.





	Woke the F*ck Up

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Because of a reunion with the ex-boyfriend of James, Teddy pretends to be his boyfriend; during the false relationship he realized that he is in love with James for real. (Prompt by MoonLord)
> 
> I'm on a role for naming fics after songs soooo here we go. Title inspired by the song of the same name by Jon Bellion, I definitely recommend listening to it if you haven't, because it's great. 
> 
> Please be aware that all of the Jeddy fics I wrote for this year's Jeddyfest are ALL CONNECTED in a timeline. I've placed them all in the series "Steadfast", where you can easily find them in chronological order (because sometimes I can be really good at organizing stuff hey look at that). 
> 
> Thank you so much to my beta restlessandordinary!!! This was my first time working with a beta and it was absolutely terrifying (especially considering I admire your writing so much OTL) but I'm super happy with the outcome and I learned SO MUCH about writing in general, thank you so much!

James wasn't going to lie, he had a thing for the color red. Maybe because his mother had red hair and he'd grown up associating it as synonymous with comfort. Maybe because he'd always been a fan of Gryffindor due to the large majority of his family loudly displaying their house pride. James didn't know why, but every time he saw the color red, he would feel excited, energized, happy.  
  
However, as much as he liked the color red, James had to admit his favorite color by far was blue. Of course he didn't exactly know why. Ever since he could remember, though, the color blue had always made a different kind of feeling fill his chest. Seeing red made him buzz with energy. Seeing _blue_ made him buzz with... something else. Joy, relaxation, bliss.  
  
He loved all shades of blue, honestly couldn't decide which shade he liked best, but for a long time, his eyes had been drawn like a moth to flame to the Ravenclaw blue. It started in first year, when he'd been staring absently at the Ravenclaw sitting next to him with a dreamy look on his face that lead to her cursing at him and storming off.  
  
He felt bad that he made her uncomfortable, but he couldn't help but stare, because the blue of her tie was just so nice. How was he supposed to explain that was why he'd been staring? Not at her, but at the blue?  
  
For his entire time at Hogwarts he held on to a blind fascination with Ravenclaw house, if only for the color that represented it, and it was through that fascination that he ended up experimenting the first time with another boy in seventh year.  
  
Drew Monroe had been sorted the same year as James, had been the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain and a Keeper since his fifth year, just like James. They'd met, they'd been rivals on the pitch since second year, they'd passed banter in the sky and in the halls to try and trip each other up, though never with true malice behind their intentions.  
  
It was during one of these confrontations, students swerving to avoid them with sighs, that they ended up behind a pillar together. James had his eyes on the tie that was hanging loose around Drew's neck, the blue standing out stark against the bronze stripes, melding with the black of his shirt. It took him a minute to realize Drew had stopped talking, eyes lifting to find more blue in the other Quidditch player's eyes.  
  
Then suddenly they were snogging, James pinned to the wall behind a pillar and hidden haphazardly by a hanging tapestry. James was clear-headed enough to wonder how an argument about James nearly getting Drew in the face with a Quaffle during the last game had ended with Drew's tongue down his throat, hands and shoulders pinned almost painfully against the stone wall.  
  
Snogging turned into meet ups at Hogsmeade and James daydreaming about blue eyes and blue scarves, still vicious with each other on the Quidditch pitch and just as forceful when they hid under the bleachers after the game, still in their Quidditch robes, to snog away the rest of their energy.  
  
James didn't know what the relationship was beyond kissing like they were trying to prove something, but it lasted for so long, and James wasn't the kind of person who could give a piece of himself to another and not feel anything. So when it got close to the end of the year, and graduation hung over their heads, James found himself staring between the blue of Drew's tie and the blue of his eyes.  
  
"What are we?" he remembered asking, and blue eyes that made him burn like fire lifted to meet his brown.  
  
"Explain." Drew had encouraged, and James hummed, chin sitting in his hands.  
  
"We snog every chance we get, go out together, so what are we? Dating? Is that what this is?"  
  
Drew just stared at him with a particular look. "Does the great James Sirius Potter with all his admirers date at all?"  
  
James just exhaled through his nose in exasperation, rolling his eyes. "Don't be a dick. You're the only one I snog in dark corners you know."  
  
"Does that make me special?"  
  
"Yea? I mean, probably." James stared over Drew's head, "To be honest I never thought about it before, I was never interested in kissing girls, I thought I was maybe just picky. Turns out I just prefer kissing guys. Mostly I like kissing you. That's fine, right?"  
  
Drew was staring down as he slowly shut his book, elbows on the table and hands folded, watching James. "How does your family feel about it?"  
  
James felt his cheeks burn. "Er, well, I haven't actually...," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean, I'm sure they'll be okay with it, they're pretty chill about these things. I mean, they don't seem to mind Albus and Scorpius."  
  
"The oldest son in a family has a different duty than the youngest," Drew stated. "The duty to carry the family name. Being the oldest in your family, it's your responsibility to pass your name on with children. Would your father actually be alright with you being gay, if it meant ending his last name?" James didn't like how that sounded. "The Potter name is famous, James. Why give it up?"  
  
"My dad's the famous one, I don't want anything to do with it."  
  
"But if you took advantage of your family status, you could do anything you wanted," Drew said, and they were silent for a moment, James staring uneasily at the table top, eyes snapping to Drew when he spoke next. "Sleep with me."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Sleep with me, tonight," Drew expanded, "As an experiment."  
  
"A fucking what?"  
  
"An experiment, James. We've been making out behind statues and curtains all year, how is this different?"  
  
"It's a lot different!"  
  
"Depending on how you feel about us afterwards, we could reveal our relationship, make it official."  
  
"Suggesting that we can't date if we don't shag?"  
  
"Nothing like that," Drew was leaning back, adjusting his tie, the blue fabric catching James' eye, "but why continue the farce if there's no feeling? Do you like me James? Or are you just in it for the snogging?"  
  
James felt physically ill at the implication that all he wanted to do was snog, he was the one who'd asked if they were dating after all, but something like this? This was a bit different than kissing behind statues, something entirely new and intimate, and James didn't know if he was ready for that. He could tell his face was burning ember, and Drew was watching him ardently.  
  
"I-I don't... I mean... why do we have to do it now? We're only seventeen, and... for the record we're at school, what if someone catches us?"  
  
"I'll protect you if that happens," Drew said, and James wanted to throw a book at him.  
  
"Well that's very nice of you, but I just... I just don't... I don't know if I'm ready for that."  
  
"I see. I understand," Drew picked his book up, turning to slide it into his bag, "It seems I've made you uncomfortable, that wasn't my intention. I'll leave you for now. Let you be alone."  
  
"Wh- Drew," James was ignored, and the Ravenclaw stood and started walking away. "Drew!"  
  
Then he was alone, thudding back against the back of his seat and running his hands over his face, into his hair, which he pulled at until it hurt. The snogging ended after that, Drew wouldn't look at or talk to James, and he couldn't tell if it was because he was mad James wouldn't sleep with him, or because he felt guilty for putting James on the spot.  
  
They graduated and went their separate ways, and James never discussed him with anyone. Maybe because whenever he thought about Drew, he felt shame. Every time someone asked him if he was dating, he'd get defensive, shoulders squaring.  
  
"I'm just not ready for something like that! Lay off!"  
  
It was only a few years later, James was nineteen and working at the Ministry, training towards becoming an Auror with none other than Teddy Lupin sitting across from him as his partner. He probably couldn't have picked a better partner if he had tried. Teddy was strong, brave and skilled, and he'd been an Auror for a while now, so he knew what he was doing and was happy to help mentor James.  
  
Just the fact James would get to enjoy the pleasant turquoise of Teddy's hair was a bonus. Despite what happened with Drew, he still loved that color, especially on Teddy.  
  
James didn't often get mail in the mornings, but he did that day before work. He was attempting to scoop all of his fried egg onto his piece of toast so he could eat it all in one go and leave immediately to avoid being late, cursing through his mouthful of food when the post owl swooped into the kitchen through the open window, dropping a stack of letters onto the table before flapping over to where Lily was sitting.  
  
"Bloody hell!" James snapped as the letters made his cup spill, orange juice washing over his shirt. "Damn bird!"  
  
"Calm down, James, he didn't do it on purpose," Lily scolded, petting the owl's head and feeding it bits of sausage.  
  
"Oh I'm sure it was a complete accident," James said bitterly, standing up and pulling his wand out to fix himself up. "Honestly, this sucks. Dad, why did you never warn me about the paperwork?!"  
  
Harry just glanced at him with a cup of coffee in one hand, picking up the letters. "I had to learn by experience, too," he said, lifting his cup in a kind of salute. "Suffer with me, James."  
  
"You're the worst dad ever."  
  
Harry just chuckled as he thumbed through the letters and Lily scolded James for being mean, pulling one of them up from between the stack to read over the name it was addressed to.  
  
"You got something, James," he said, pulling the letter out and holding it for his son to take.  
  
"Who from?" James asked, staring at the front of the envelope where his name had been written in a neat, careful hand, then flipped it over a few times as if expecting the name of the sender to light up.  
  
Still standing, James tore the letter open, deciding to look at the signature at the end of the note before reading it. The name had his breath hitching, and he would have spit his juice had he been drinking.  
  
Drew Monroe.  
  
"Who's it from?" Lily asked, and James gave her an owlish look, eyes wide.  
  
"Nobody. A friend."  
  
"I don't think I've met Nobody before," Lily drawled. "Is he nice?"  
  
James rolled his eyes and turned around. "I'm changing my shirt."  
  
"Do you think you have time to change?"  
  
"It's just my shirt, dad, and Teddy can hold down the fort until I show up."  
  
"If you say so..."  
  
James made sure to lock the door to his room before taking a seat at the foot of his messy unmade bed, slipping the letter out to read it fully, his body growing tighter with every word. Most of it he already knew, Drew simply told him what had been going on in life since graduation. He'd joined the National Quidditch League and was playing Keeper for a team (but it was hush hush till their first official game so he couldn't say which team). Keeping busy, living alone, happy to be out of the house, blah blah. Then he asked how James had been, and at the sentence _"I believe I've missed you more than I expected"_ James felt angry as well as hopeful.  
  
It wasn't until the end where Drew said he'd be in London for a few days that James started to panic a little. That anxiety you would get at the prospect of seeing an ex, wanting to see them but also absolutely petrified at the idea.  
  
_"There's a nice outdoor Muggle food court I've grown fond of near the Ministry, I imagine you must have been there before. This isn't an invitation, but I'll be around there at noon on Wednesday, and if we happen to see each other, I would greatly enjoy sharing lunch and catching up. Bring a friend if you want, to make it less awkward for you. I hope I see you."_  
  
James inhaled and dropped his face into the letter, groaning, looking at his door when there was a knock and Harry called through it, asking if he was ready or not. He scrambled to change his juice stained shirt, stuffing the letter into his back pocket and grabbing the dragon skin cloak from where it hung over his desk chair, rushing out his bedroom door to join Harry at the fireplace.  
  
Concentration came as a struggle as James apologized to Teddy for being late. Their desks were set up one in front of the other, so they would be sitting face to face and able to easily pass things to each other if need be. James took his seat across from the older Auror, who already had a stack of folders on his desk and two cups of coffee in his system. He happily dropped half of the folders in front of James before sitting back down and laughing.  
  
"Not a problem, I managed," Teddy promised, quill in hand. "You remember the other day when we busted an illegal Ghoul? That's what we're doing our report on. We should've done it sooner, Hermione's got me in a headlock ‘till we finish," he winced and James ran his hands over his face.  
  
"Right, I remember that, no problem."  
  
Or so he said, but he could barely get a few words on paper as his mind kept drawing to the letter in his pocket, remembering every moment he spent with Drew before their split.  
  
It was frustrating. They hadn't even been dating officially, but would they have, if James had just kept his mouth shut? Maybe Drew already figured they were together and just didn't see a need to call it dating? Shit. Then why did he have to ask James to sleep with him, as if it were no big deal? Sleep with me and we can date, don't sleep with me and we're not snogging anymore. Was that right? Is that what happened? Drew just wanted to be intimate and special. James just wasn't ready. Was he ready now? Was it normal to still be so completely inexperienced at nineteen?  
  
"Teddy, hey, Teddy," James leaned across his desk to get closer to Teddy.  
  
He simply hummed to show he'd heard, signing yet another document for both Hermione and Harry to look over and questioning why his department had to worry about a wizard keeping an unregistered Ghoul (that wasn't their division at all).  
  
"I have a question but it's... it's kind of weird."  
  
"Well if it has anything to do with your report then I may be inclined to answer it," Teddy said without looking up.  
  
"How old were you when you, you know, lost your innocence?"  
  
"Jamie I have never been innocent," Teddy joked, then paused, staring at the curl of the "g" he was writing before lifting his head to James. "Wait, what?"  
  
James looked red-faced, and Teddy stared at him a moment before setting his quill down, "Why are you asking about that? Planning on making fun of me or something?"  
  
"No," James said quickly, "I just... you know... I was curious. I'm comparing you."  
  
"To who?"  
  
"Er."  
  
Teddy arched an eyebrow and watched his partner squirm a little in his seat, exhaling through, "I was seventeen, but don't tell my gran."  
  
James widened his eyes before dropping his face onto his desk with a slam, muttering.  
  
"Of course you did, you're Teddy Lupin, just look at you with your stupid dragon leather and your blue hair and your tattoos."  
  
"What in the devil are you muttering about?"  
  
James inhaled as he lifted his head, eyes steeling and a frown on his lips. "I need your help with something."  
  
"After that question, I'm expecting you to ask me about sex, and Jamie I do love being your mentor, but I must insist you inquire about such things with your parents and not me-"  
  
"Teddy I've gotten the sex talk I know how to do it! In theory!" he added the last bit and tried not to chuck his pen cup at Teddy when he choked on a laugh. "I need you to do me a favor, as a friend. You're my friend, right? More than that, Ted, you're my partner. You're supposed to help me out when I'm in a bind!"  
  
Teddy held his hands out. "Yea, on missions when dark wizards are trying to curse out your heart!"  
  
"Please?" James asked, and his voice cracked enough that Teddy hesitated. "I'll do all the paperwork by myself, I'll even take it up to Hermione and stand through her lecture so you don't have to, I'll even clean the rotted food from the breakroom fridge even though it's technically your turn to do it-"  
  
"Okay, okay, okay!" Teddy rubbed his hands over his face. "What is it you need my help with?"  
  
James hesitated. "You can't tell my dad."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Or mum or my aunt."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"You can't tell Vic either!"  
  
"Jamie, you know we broke up."  
  
"Doesn't mean you're not friends and don’t go out for drinks to shoot the breeze every Saturday."  
  
"True. What is it then?"  
  
Yet again James hesitated, he looked embarrassed, almost ashamed.

"I need your help making someone jealous."

Teddy blanked, blinking a few times before snickering, "What?"  
  
"I got a letter today, this morning. It's kind of why I'm late," James pulled out the letter to show the front to Teddy, who noted the elegant calligraphy of James' name, "It's a friend from school. Sort of a friend. I mean all through seventh year we snogged in empty closets and behind pillars and tapestries and under the Quidditch stadium, but that's not the point."  
  
"That seems like it _is_ the point." Teddy's eyes were wide, grinning. "Jamie I had no idea you dated! Who was it? Someone I know? Is this why you asked how old I was? Holy Helena, Jamie, how old were you?"  
  
"Er... that's kind of-" James looked even more nervous now. "I didn't actually... wasn't ready so... they asked, I said no, and... the end I guess...."  
  
Teddy's smile faded slowly until he was staring with a furrow across his brow, "James... who was this person?"  
  
"Well, I mean, I can almost guarantee you don't know him-."  
  
"Him?"  
  
James went white. "Oh no, oh shit, no, Teddy, just listen-."  
  
"Jamie, calm down!" Teddy reached out to grab the hands James had been flailing in an attempt to explain. "Listen, there's nothing wrong with dating another guy, okay? Honestly, Jamie, why did you never tell me? You know I would never judge you!"  
  
James felt a bit better at that, and stared down at the letter he'd put on the table in front of him. "I just... wanted to figure myself out before letting other people know. It's not that I don't trust you, really."  
  
"I get it," Teddy released him slowly, sitting back. "So... let me see if I understand. You started experimenting with another guy in seventh year, but when they asked you for something more than kissing you said no, and they... what did they do?"  
  
James shrugged. "Started ignoring me." With his eyes locked on the letter, he didn't notice Teddy's sigh of relief, or the way his shoulders sagged. “I mean, being together wasn't official, we just made out sometimes, but I liked spending time with him too. I just... did I do the right thing?"  
  
"In what, deciding not to sleep with him? Yes, James. Look, you don't need to chuck yourself at anyone who asks, there's no shame in not having sex at seventeen."  
  
"You did."  
  
"Well, I was ready and so were they, but this isn't about me." Teddy nodded at James. "You did nothing wrong, and him basically dumping you for not putting out makes him the shameful one, because you're a fucking catch, okay? That fucking idiot didn't know what he was giving up. You're smart, brave, intelligent, attractive, you might be the most good looking guy in the Aurors. You've got the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen and your freckles just make you prettier-"  
  
James was staring somewhat dizzily at Teddy, who was slow to realize what he'd said and widened his eyes as the roots of his hair turned pastel pink.  
  
"So," he struggled to get out, "this guy, he's an idiot. You're a catch but he missed out. So... what, you wanted to make him jealous?"  
  
"Yea," James answered, tearing his eyes away from Teddy. "He's going to be in town for a while and we might meet up tomorrow, at that food court just a few blocks away. The one we get takeout from if we have to pull all nighters, you know?"  
  
"Yea I know the place."  
  
"Well I... I wanted to go, even if it's to see him for a minute, and I know it's stupid."  
  
"It's not stupid at all, Jamie. You shared something intimate with him, and you have a big heart, letting go would be hard for you. You wanted me to come with you?"  
  
James gave a firm nod, "More than that, Teds. This is... you can say no but... you being you, I know he'd be through the roof."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I want you to come with me as my date, a fake boyfriend, to make him jealous."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This definitely wasn't how Teddy had initially planned to spend his lunch break on Wednesday. Originally he'd made plans to knuckle down with an iced coffee and finally finish the last two files of paperwork and organization before proudly telling Hermione that it was no big deal and cursing Harry for giving them so much paperwork, ending it by checking in with the head Auror and seeing if there was something simple they could do in the field to finish off the day before they were given another big mission.  
  
Walking with James to eat out at the muggle food court, while he'd done so a million times before, had not been on his to do list. Honestly, he still wondered why he’d said yes to helping his partner, it was such a ridiculous request, but they were indeed partners. Teddy was always there for James, and he'd looked so anxious. Teddy tried to pretend he was just tagging along for moral support, to give James strength, and not as his, er, boyfriend.  
  
"Couldn't you... couldn't you ask someone else? Fred?"  
  
"Teddy, he's my cousin, that's creepy. You and I have no relation at all, we just happened to grow up together, and that's not creepy. Makes sense if you think about it."  
  
Teddy wasn't so sure, and he certainly wasn't confident Harry would agree.  
  
"Besides, Freddie's cute, but he's not you."  
  
"You're saying I'm cute?"  
  
"I'm saying you should be illegal, Tedward. Take it from me and everyone who went to Hogwarts with you. Take it from Vic. You are criminally attractive."  
  
It was just a compliment like James gave out all the time, but something about the intensity in his eyes made Teddy embarrassed.  
  
So he'd agreed, and he'd taken extra time that morning to get ready, five extra minutes in the shower, a splash of cologne, nicer clothes than he tended to wear to work, and since they'd be going into Muggle London, he settled on a leather jacket rather than his cloak. His turquoise hair was a splash darker than it usually was, but Teddy swore he didn't do it on purpose. Usually his hair got dark if he was irritated, but he definitely wasn't irritated at James.  
  
So maybe... maybe he was irritated at this currently unnamed and faceless ex who dumped James for not putting out. Oh yea, that definitely made sense.  
  
Teddy dressed himself up for the sole purpose of putting the fear of God and Godric into this fucker’s head. How dare he? He was going to be pretty embarrassed when he saw Teddy with James, that was for sure.  
  
James seemed to have taken the same route as Teddy, dressing in neatly pressed jeans and tshirt with an accompanying Quidditch letter jacket. It was Muggle enough, but Teddy hoped no one asked what team "Puddlemere United" was. Even his hair was combed, which never happened on a good day since they were so busy, and the stress of their job got so strung out during the day that even if James did comb his hair he'd just mess it up by knotting his fingers through it.  
  
He smelt strongly of mint, pear, and pine trees, and for the strangest reason Teddy could feel his mouth watering when he smelt it, turning his head sharply to wipe his mouth just in case, smiling back at James as he sat down, cheeks lightly flushed, freckles blinking to life stark as stars against night sky.  
  
"You certainly look nice," Teddy complimented, and James sunk down in his seat, hazel eyes flashing to him before dropping back down.  
  
"You too."  
  
"Hey, don't be too nervous okay?" Teddy found himself trying hard to boost his spirits. "It's gonna be fun. We'll get there early so we can start eating before he shows up, and consider he might not show up at all."  
  
James actually looked sad at that, and Teddy tried not to feel annoyed.  
  
Why would he be sad about a guy who ditched him for something so stupid? James could do better. He was worth more than that and deserved more than someone so obtuse.  
  
They chose a small round table directly in the sun, because Teddy said the light brought out the tiny bit of green in James' hazel eyes. They sat across from each other, just like at work, and for a while it was a normal lunch. Teddy was actually starting to enjoy the air away from the office and the pink lemonade in his glass.  
  
"We're lucky we managed to finish all the paperwork before lunch, but now we have extra time to focus on new assignments," Teddy was saying as James spun his straw around in his soda, watching the ice and bubbles swirl into a tornado. "I was thinking of taking a Boggart case in Wales."  
  
James groaned and leaned back. "Teddy, I hate those things!"  
  
"I know you do."  
  
"Anyway, why are the divisions crossing like this? Boggarts aren't our problem, and it's not like we're super busy, so why is the Creature department saddling us with their work?"  
  
"I honestly don't know." Teddy shrugged. "My assumption is that there's been an influx of beast activity, but I can't imagine why." He folded his arms over the edge of the table. "I wanted to take the case cuz it's in Wales, and I haven't seen my grandad in a couple of months. It would be a good excuse. If you don't want to we can look into something else."  
  
James sighed. "No, it's fine, let's go hunt Boggarts through the Welsh Woodlands, sounds like a blast."  
  
Teddy grinned. "Glad you're so excited. In any case, you do owe me, for doing _this."_  
  
James glared at Teddy, blowing bubbles into his soda through his straw. His hair was already messed up from the way it had been combed that morning, rustled from its place by anxious fingers, but honestly Teddy thought James looked a lot better this way. So entirely himself, natural in the sun. His eyes looked like they were glowing, like melted caramel, and the freckles on his face were so dark and noticeable that Teddy could probably reach over to connect them into constellations.  
  
It was really nice, sitting there alone with James and enjoying the silence, just smiling and watching as the younger Auror pouted around his straw and blew bubbles into it like he was eleven again. Childish as he could be, James had really grown into himself, and Teddy was really proud. He really was a catch.  
  
Teddy opened his mouth, but he instantly forgot what he was going to say when a shadow crossed the table.  
  
"James?"  
  
James looked first, snorting into his soda and nearly falling out of his chair coughing when the drink flew into his face. Teddy tensed and turned his head to look, and a twinge of insecurity flickered through him. Was this the guy James had mentioned? The one he snogged in empty hallways?  
  
He was tall and lean with ink black hair and skin bitten by the sun, eyes a piercing blue. He was.... not bad looking at all, and his eyes were on James. They moved to Teddy when James grabbed a napkin to wipe his face dry.  
  
"I know you," the man noted. "Edward Lupin."  
  
"Teddy," he corrected. "I go by Teddy."  
  
"Teddy, then."  
  
"Well," Teddy offered a smile, "you can just call me Lupin." The blue eyes seemed to grow a bit more intense as Teddy looked over him again. "Can't say I know who you are."  
  
"Drew," James was the one to introduce, and Teddy glanced over to see he was looking between them with a baffled expression, "Drew Monroe, he was in my grade."  
  
"Oh, Monroe." Teddy smiled at him again, "Nope, doesn't ring a bell." He took smug pride at the narrow of Drew's eyes and the fact his name was well known.  
  
The guy already knew who he was? That just made this better.  
  
"It's been a while," Drew said, turning from Teddy and smiling at James, who looked torn between getting up to hug him or just sit there and laugh nervously (he chose to laugh), "You're looking pretty good."  
  
"Yea I combed my hair!" James blurted.  
  
Teddy felt his hands curling into fists on his lap as Drew chuckled, a closed lip smile on James, who was grinning back. It was all Teddy could do to not snap at James "stop smiling at him" or "stop acting so cute". After this guy up and ditched him, he didn't deserve James' smiles.  
  
"May I sit?"  
  
"Yea, sure," James waved, and Drew grabbed an empty chair from the table behind him, dragging it over before sitting down.  
  
Teddy bit the inside of his cheek to hold in his quip of "no you can't, fuck off" and just offered a pained smile in an attempt to be polite.  
  
"You look good," Drew repeated, leaning forward with his arms folded on the table, turned towards James with his shoulder and back to Teddy, snubbing him in favor of staring at James. "Been doing well?"  
  
"Yea, working at the Ministry," James answered. "An Auror, officially for about nine months."  
  
"That's gotta be exciting," Drew said. "Part of me always thought you'd join a Quidditch team after graduating, almost expected to be playing against you someday. Maybe end up on the same team."  
  
"Ah, well, I thought about it," James admitted, "but there's just something about the Ministry, being an Auror, knowing I'm helping people every day. I still love Quidditch though."  
  
"You're not missing out on much," Drew waved a hand, "the only change compared to school teams is how often we practice. Early morning and late into the night, it's pretty exhausting."  
  
James looked sympathetic, so Teddy decided to add in. "Wish I played Quidditch," he said, not really thinking through the words before he threw them up. "Gets pretty tiring when all you're doing is paperwork, or stake outs, hunting down dark wizards and getting cursed or beaten up every other day. Huh, Jamie?"  
  
James looked baffled at him, "Oh, yea, well, not all the time."  
  
"Suppose being an Auror must be easy now though," Drew said without looking at Teddy, and James stared at him.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I can't imagine there are many dark wizards left. None I've heard about at least. So the most I see Aurors doing is picking up broken wands and slapping the wrists of people who smuggled unregistered Ghouls into their homes."  
  
James looked honestly offended by that, and Teddy took the initiative to retaliate. "Well you're welcome," he said, "for stopping dark wizards before they become so infamous through murder that you learn to fear their name."  
  
Drew turned to look at Teddy as James winced, "Thank you."  
  
Yea, that wasn't what Teddy had expected.  
  
"You've known him for a while, right?" Drew asked James while pointing at Teddy. "I remember first year, Lupin was a seventh year, you'd follow him around a lot, hang off his robes and wear his scarves."  
  
James blushed, looking surprised, while Teddy found himself reminiscing that year he was at school with James. For the first few months, James had been a nervous wreck. Excited, of course, eager to make friends, but for some reason at the beginning, people stuck their noses up and didn't give him so much as a second glance.  
  
Teddy figured it was an effect of James being the son of Harry Potter. A mixture of ignorance, jealousy, and miscommunication that led so many people to assume that the Potter children would be stuck up, self entitled, rude bullies who felt they deserved everything handed to them on a silver plate, simply because their father was a war hero who saved the wizarding world.  
  
None of it was true of course, none of the Potters were anything like that. Teddy knew it because he grew up around them, so he couldn't exactly blame the students at Hogwarts for their cruelty. He still did of course, because what else was he to do but get angry when his dorm mate came into the Hufflepuff common room to inform him little James Potter was looking for him with tears in his eyes? Confused, crying, because no one would talk to or look at him, because whenever he tried to join a conversation, they would stop and just stare at him, because no one would sit with him at meals or during classes.  
  
Teddy remembered spending ages trying to calm him down, James sitting on one of the barrels near the common room entrance and wiping the tears off his face, making sure to change his hair wild colors because it always made James smile. The only thing that managed to get him to stop crying was when Teddy took his scarf and wound it around James' neck.  
  
"Just be yourself," Teddy remembered saying, hands squeezing James' cheeks, "No one can dislike you for very long if they manage to get to know the real you. Don't be Harry Potter's son, just be Jamie."  
  
"We're Auror partners now," James explained, and Drew hummed.  
  
"I see. I suppose that's why you brought him along then?" Drew glanced at Teddy before looking back at James. "To be honest with you, when I added that bit in my letter, part of me was hoping you'd come alone."  
  
James looked sheepish, "Sorry, I didn't- you see, Teddy and I, we work together, Auror partners, and we-"  
  
"Dating," Teddy said. "We're dating. Why wouldn't I come with him?"  
  
For the first time since he'd shown up, Drew looked surprised, but so did James, and Teddy had to wonder why. Fake dating had been his idea in the first place, why did he have to be so red faced?  
  
"Are you?" Drew asked, sounding sceptical, and Teddy folded his arms.  
  
"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"  
  
"Well, as partners in the same department, are you allowed to date each other?"  
  
There was a beat of silence, and James whispered what Teddy had been thinking. "I hadn't even thought of that."  
  
"I'm not allowed to date team members," Drew revealed, "something about distractions. Wouldn't it be a more enforced rule in the Aurors, since your work is literally life threatening?"  
  
James blinked. "Well I didn't..."  
  
"If you think us dating would distract me from doing my job, watching my partner’s back, or protecting him, then you've got a bad view," Teddy decided, and Drew set an elbow against the table, chin in his hand.  
  
"So no one knows you're dating then? I feel special." He didn't actually sound excited though.  
  
There was something in his posture, the way he looked at Teddy as if he were disposable before smiling at James, that made Teddy believe he really wasn't falling for the ploy. Teddy should have been happy, this was all a game anyway, a way to make Drew jealous, but then why was it Teddy who was feeling so frustrated at the way he kept leaning closer to James?  
  
Right, because of the way they ended things. Drew chose to leave James over something stupid, he treated James like a means to an end, and that was unacceptable. Teddy would have done this for anyone. He was just defending the honor of his friend.  
  
He stood up and grabbed the back of his chair, dragging it so the legs scraped loudly and obviously against the ground before setting it right next to James and sitting back down, staring pointedly at Drew, just begging him to say something. If the little rat didn't think they were dating, he'd make it hard not to believe.  
  
"So tell us about your work," Teddy said with a smile, "I'm not as fond of Quidditch as Jamie, but you learn to appreciate certain things when you're going out, you know?"  
  
James took a moment to catch up to Teddy, then smiled at him. "Yea, thanks. Maybe we can actually go to a game together? I keep trying to get you off work for one."  
  
Teddy frowned, that wasn't even a lie. "We'll talk about it. I guess... if there's a break in our workload."  
  
"You mean if we finish our reports on time," James said, and Teddy shrugged.  
  
"We are pretty bad at it."  
  
"Maybe I can get you tickets," Drew offered, and Teddy could feel himself tingle in glee at the attempt to pull James' attention back. "If you want to see my first game at all."  
  
"Wow, really? You don't have to go through that trouble."  
  
"What team do you play for?" Teddy asked. "I'd hate to show up and realize we support your opponent more than you."  
  
Really, Teddy would love that.  
  
"I'm not supposed to mention it until my debut."  
  
"Shame," Teddy clicked his tongue. "Jamie is a fan of Puddlemere though."  
  
"I like the Harpies too," James admitted. "That's my mum's old team. They're pretty great."  
  
Drew smiled at him, and Teddy was learning just how much he hated that smile. "Did you ever get to see her play professionally?"  
  
"Sure!" James went on with a short rant about his experiences watching Ginny play.  
  
He was so distracted, ranting about the time he fell out of his seat when he stood up on it so he could see his mum better, that he didn't realize that Drew wasn't even looking at him. Instead his eyes were on Teddy, who stared back with a cool ice to his own glare. They must have been changing color, Drew was making the same expression as every other person when they witnessed Teddy morphing, but he couldn't begin to imagine what he looked like. Something scary maybe. Hopefully.  
  
Drew kept getting closer, inch by inch, his hand was easing towards where James had his set on the table next to his glass, fingers tapping against it as he spun his straw around with his right hand. Unacceptable. No other guy was allowed to just grab James, especially if it was a guy who left James for not sleeping with him.  
  
Of course... Teddy didn't exactly have a right to get angry. It wasn't like he was actually dating James, this was just acting out a game to upset Drew, which should have been satisfying in it's own right, and it definitely was, but there was just something missing. Something to make the fake persona more believable. Teddy had no right at all to feel this possessive, but he did.  
  
Teddy didn't know what really prompted him into reaching his arm out, stretching it across James' shoulders and wrapping it fully around him. He was notably strong, from his work as an Auror, so it was basically effortless to drag both James and his seat closer, curling his arm tightly so his arm bent at the elbow, crossing down over James' chest. He leaned closer, setting his chin on James' shoulder, he could smell the other Auror even clearer from this close, that strange blend of mint and pear, and it had him smiling. It was a nice scent. Too bad Drew wouldn't get to enjoy it.  
  
He was glaring now, and glancing to the left, Teddy could see red on James' cheeks. He'd stopped talking, and dragged his cup closer, lifting it up so he could drink through his straw, though there was nothing else left at the bottom besides a little ice and water.  
  
"You two certainly look cozy," Drew stated in a dull voice. "How long have you been dating?"  
  
James opened his mouth but couldn't seem to think of an answer that would sound realistic, so Teddy spoke first. "Five months maybe?" He searched through his head for some reason he would have confessed to James. "There was a small mishap during a raid, Jamie got knocked down. It wasn't a deadly or very dangerous curse, but he was in hospital for a week."  
  
It wasn't even a lie, which Teddy figured was the best lie he could tell. Six months ago they and a second Auror field team had been issued a mission raid to bust a band of smugglers who were processing and distributing fake wands. Dangerous decoys that appeared faulty, but would backlash the instant a caster used a curse.  
  
Unfortunately, the wizards creating them used real wands, and one of them cast a curse at James that hit him in the side of the head. He was out cold for five days, and kept bedridden under strict medical supervision for the remaining two days. There was no apparent lasting damage, but there was a small scar that cut into his hairline, where no hair would grow back, just bare, smooth scarring that he hid with longer portions of hair.  
  
Teddy had lifted his chin from James' shoulder, and was only thinking of searching through James' hair to find the scar, but didn't realize he'd actually done it until his thumb was tracing the crude mark on the right side of James' head.  
  
"Scared me half to death, I thought he was dead when I saw him just lying there bleeding out. When he came out of it okay I guess... it woke me up."  
  
His hand was curled around the back of James' head, his thumb still tracing the little scar. He didn't notice, nor did he care, that Drew was staring at him, and that James had his eyes wide open staring at Teddy.  
  
"I-I didn't... you never told me that before."  
  
"I'm not lying," Teddy admitted, staring at the little scar, "I couldn't breathe when I saw you get hit. How do you think we managed to take down the entire group after you got hit? I lost my mind, I went mad. I almost killed them all and I'm still not sure why I didn't."  
  
"Aside from the fact you would have hated yourself? Never forgiven yourself?"  
  
Teddy snorted. "Half of me figured you'd get mad if you'd woken up to learn I was in Azkaban."  
  
"You wouldn't have been sent to Azkaban for defending me and yourself from dark wizards."  
  
"Well... it took all that was in me not to cast a killing curse at the bastard who hit you," Teddy mumbled, and James smiled, reaching up to cup the back of the hand still on his head.  
  
"You did fine. I'm just sorry I wasn't paying attention and got myself hurt like that. I didn't mean to worry you."  
  
"It wasn't your fault, Jamie."  
  
"Not yours either, Ted."  
  
"So should I leave? Give you two some privacy to snog your hearts out?" Drew asked, meeting Teddy's eyes, the outer ring glinting red as if in response to Drew's voice. "He's a pretty fantastic snogger, though you probably already know that."  
  
The ring of red spread out to fill Teddy's entire iris, and the hand on James' head released him to instead hold the back of his neck possessively.  
  
"Snogging isn't all there is to a relationship, Monroe. If that's the only thing you care about, then clearly you don't understand what a relationship even is." Teddy pulled his hand away from James' neck and instead leaned over him, in front of him, towards Drew. "I feel sorry for you, yet at the same time I suppose I should be grateful you're so simple-minded. Thanks to your ability to think only with what's between your legs, I was given the chance to steal him for myself," he smiled. "So thank you, for being such an idiot."  
  
Drew stood up, the chair legs scraping against the ground, and Teddy quickly took to his feet as well, prepared to punch the lights out of Drew if he tried something. Before either of them could start throwing fists, however, James jumped up and grabbed both their shoulders, shoving them back into their seats.  
  
"Alright! I think our lunch break is almost over, Teddy," he said quickly, "and I really don't think fighting will gain us points with the head Auror. Drew, it was great seeing you again, and I really hope to see you play in a match sometime."  
  
Teddy exhaled slowly through his nose and nodded, standing up again. "Fine. I'll pay for our lunch and we can head back to the Ministry."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Right, good." James watched Teddy wander off, roots of his hair red, the rest of it deep blue, then looked back at Drew, who was slowly standing back up. "Look... I'm sorry. That wasn't exactly how I expected that to go."  
  
"He seems protective," Drew noted. "Possessive. Not exactly the best quality in a boyfriend. Does he even let you tie your own shoelaces?"  
  
"Teddy's not like that," James defended. "We're partners, we work as a unit, he doesn't own me or control what I do. That's not how Aurors work."  
  
"It's not how a relationship works either?" Drew asked, and James seemed to be at a loss for words for an instant, before his eyes seemed to set.  
  
"No," he answered finally, "we're a unit in that as well. Equal."  
  
"What he said about you getting cursed-."  
  
"He wasn't lying, I did get cursed," James stated quickly. "I've been cursed and hospitalized a dozen times, being an Auror isn't all fun and games."  
  
"I don't argue that," Drew assured. "I meant what he said about waking up when he saw you. You seemed... surprised by it."  
  
James hesitated. "Because he'd... he'd never told me about that before. So... I mean, I'd never heard that... yea..."  
  
"If I may ask," Drew said, folding his arms, "how did you two end up getting together?"  
  
James opened and closed his mouth. "I don't know, I just... it kind of just happened." James stared down, rubbing the back of his head. "I can't really remember where I heard this, read it, if someone said it to me... but the things you need most aren't planned out to happen, they just... happen."  
  
"The things you need," Drew repeated.  
  
James looked over his shoulder towards where Teddy was standing at the food counter they'd ordered from, handing over a bit of Muggle cash to pay for their lunch. His blue hair looked the same, dark from his irritation, but it really didn't matter. He looked like he'd been built out of black leather, combat boots, grunge, and bad attitude, but anyone who really knew him, knew that Teddy was as soft as his name was. James was damn lucky to be dating him.  
  
Wait... fake dating. Right? That's all it was, right? Oh, hell.  
  
"Yea," James said, tearing his eyes away from his fake-boyfriend-real-Auror-partner to look back at Drew. "More than I thought I would. I'm glad I have him. For my partner on the field, and off."  
  
Drew looked over at Teddy, eyes narrowed. "To tell you the truth, when I sent that letter, part of me was hoping I'd be able to... convince you to try again with me." James frowned. "After seeing Lupin, though, I can't say I'm surprised."  
  
James opened his mouth but quickly shut it, wondering what he was even about to say. That he wanted to try again too? That had been the whole point of this fake persona, pretending Teddy was his boyfriend. To make Drew jealous. It worked. Yet James felt no joy from Drew admitting he wanted to try again. Why would he? He had Teddy after all.  
  
And it was stupid, but it felt right. It would never go anywhere of course, but James hadn't felt this kind of bliss in his heart for a long time. Teddy was his friend, his partner, they'd grown up together, so this kind of affection should have been simple and platonic, but James got the feeling that if he let it fester too long, it could get stronger, therefore more painful.  
  
Even so, James could only smile wistfully. "Lucky, aren't I?"  
  
Drew tilted his head the other way, meeting James' eye, "I think he's the lucky one, James." They stared at each other for a moment longer before Drew turned, pushing his chair in. "You know, it's not Lupin being handsome I was really talking about, though he certainly is a catch." James tried not to feel annoyed at that. "I just meant, you always had a thing for the color blue. No wonder you were attracted to someone practically bathed in it."  
  
"Blue...," James muttered, and Drew smirked.  
  
"Think I didn't notice it? The first time we made out, all you could look at was my tie. Remember? Not sure why that was so endearing to me, but it was." He held his hand out for James, who stared at it a moment before reaching out to take it. "This may be the end of what we never actually had, but it was fun to sneak around while it lasted."  
  
"I should thank you," James said, squeezing Drew's hand and shaking it gently. "Thanks to you, I'm starting to get a grasp on who I am. It's kind of nice, knowing what I prefer. You know?"  
  
"Yea, I know," Drew glanced over at Teddy once more. "Hope he treats you right."  
  
"He treats me better than I probably deserve."  
  
Drew's smile looked forced as he released James and turned, putting his hands into his pockets. "I'll see you around sometime, James."  
  
"Yea. Good luck with your Quidditch."  
  
"Try not to get killed by dark wizards."  
  
"I'll do my very best."  
  
"He gone?" James looked over his shoulder to see Teddy had walked up to him, watching Drew disappear into the crowd. "Gotta admit, Jamie... not a fan of that one."  
  
"Yea, I noticed," James sighed, arms folded. "You didn't have to try and jump at him."  
  
"He pushed my buttons."  
  
"Is that what you call it?"  
  
"Well did I do my job?" Teddy asked, propping his elbow against James' shoulder. "Did he get jealous enough to desperately ask you to marry him?"  
  
"Essentially, yea."  
  
"Did you accept?"  
  
"Nah. Why would I do that?" James leaned into Teddy. "I already got you, don't I?"  
  
Teddy stared after Drew a moment in thought, before speaking without considering the consequences to his words.  
  
"It would be a shame if we got all dressed up for just this, wouldn't it?" he asked. "Let's go out after work."  
  
"Like to a bar?" James asked, and Teddy shook his head.  
  
"Nah. Classier maybe."  
  
"A night club?"  
  
"I was thinking more like a restaurant," Teddy admitted. "You get me?"  
  
"Uh."  
  
"A date, Mr. Potter." Teddy pulled away from James and turned, walking backwards to smile face to face at James. "I'm asking you out on a date."  
  
"Wh... wait, huh?"  
  
Teddy grinned and turned, starting to walk away, and James ran after him.  
  
"You can't just drop that and walk off! Oy, Lupin, don't play me like this!"  
  
"Not a play, Jamie," Teddy called over his shoulder. "This game we just played against Monroe, I want to feel it when it's real." He looked over at James. "I know I'm not him, but if you're willing to bet a little risk, then I wanna see where we can go."  
  
James couldn't breathe, but the warmth in his chest was impossible to ignore. Would this end badly? There was a huge chance of that, but what was life without a little risk? James was scared, if they did this it could ruin their friendship, their partnership at the Ministry, it could ruin their family, they could ruin each other.  
  
If it went well, though? What could be gained?  
  
"Yea," James said finally, bumping his shoulder into Teddy's and bringing an even bigger smile to his lips. "I've always been attracted to the color blue anyway. It's a date."  
  
"Fantastic then," Teddy laughed the words, and James chuckled.  
  
"I get to choose the venue though."  
  
"So long as it's not a pub."

"You have no sense of fun."

~~~~~~~~~~~

There was little in life that could pique Drew's interest if it didn't vaguely resemble a book in some way. That's what he used to tell people at least, and it was an easy charade to maintain when he almost always had a textbook in his hands or tucked under his arm, held open as he paced down the Hogwarts halls towards his next class, leaving it up to the crowd around him not to bump into him, because he was too busy to worry about that kind of thing.

His general “geek” status was likely the reason so many people, including his house mates, were so stunned when he showed an interest in Quidditch, displaying talent in the air that no one expected and securing a spot on the team in his third year.

Drew's interests weren't only in book learning, but in all different categories of education. He learned a lot while playing Quidditch, as much as he would from any novel or scripts. That's why he enjoyed it.

He had a born curiosity that fed off new experiences, and he was always searching for something that could spark a fire in him, starving for something new, something different. Drew never expected to find his greatest learning experience was pushing James Sirius Potter behind a pillar to snog him until neither could breathe.

That's what happened, though, and that's what continued to happen for months in their seventh year.

Drew knew who James was, it was hard not to notice him, especially when they were rivals on the Quidditch pitch. James was a lesson that Drew never knew he needed to learn, but the more time he spent making out with him, the more interesting James became.

Drew wasn't obsessed, he _wasn't._ He was just… passionately curious.

James Potter was a great Quidditch player, an excellent Chaser, but in every other area he seemed merely passable. He didn't excel in anything really, and seemed incredibly blasé about it. He wasn't _bad_ at anything per say, but his abilities didn't quite make him stand out. That was probably the reason Drew never paid him any mind before.

He made up for his rather unimpressive existence by being overly eccentric, enthusiastic, and loud. He made jokes for the sole purpose of making people laugh, he went beyond himself to show kindness to everyone he came across, almost desperately. Sometimes his smiles looked like plastic, a false bravado to hide his insecurities.

One thing he always had going for him was his blood, his relation to Harry Potter. Drew never would've guessed it would be the one thing James was adamant about separating himself from. He made it obvious that being famous was the last thing he wanted. To be constantly known as Harry Potter's son. He didn't want that. Drew found that strange.

James had all the opportunities in the world simply because of who his father was. Who in their right mind wouldn't take advantage of that? Drew could've used that status, if he was being honest, to further his interests if nothing else. In school, the closest he figured he would get was James. That was enough.

He learned a lot from James, and started to feel something else along the way, but the concept of admitting that there was something between them other than a means to an end, was daunting. So Drew ran from it. Till years later when he decided reaching out to James would be beneficial to both his status as a professional Quidditch player, and his personal life.

Having a Potter on his arm would be like having a free pass through life. James had clearly been bothered by the abrupt end to their relationship, so Drew had been confident getting him back would have been effortless. The last thing he counted on was James coming to meet him with Teddy Lupin at his side.

Drew wasn't an idiot, he could tell immediately they were trying to play him, but that gave him confidence. James was trying to make him jealous, that meant he still felt something for Drew.

How could he compete with Teddy, though?

All through school, even though he wasn't there, Drew would hear the professors talking about Teddy Lupin, how well he did in classes, how he dominated the OWLs and NEWTs just like his father, how he would go on to do incredible things.

Drew never used to pay much attention to him, even less attention than he did to James. On occasion he would see something about him in the Daily Prophet, but he didn't remember ever caring enough to read the articles. Seeing him there at the cafe, it was the first time Drew actually bothered to actually look at him.

Teddy Lupin was far from generic or basic. He was hot, without even trying, just sitting there he looked good. He and James probably didn't notice the looks they were getting, the dreamy eyes stuck on the back of Teddy's head. Drew noticed. Drew noticed everything.

Maybe that was why he noticed how increasingly agitated Teddy grew with every word Drew said to James, until he stood up and moved to sit next to him. They were playing, clearly, they weren't actually dating, but why would James get so red in the face if there was nothing there?

If they weren't dating now, they would eventually. It was sickening, having to sit there and watch them try and explain how they “got together” when they weren't actually together.

Teddy with his hand caressing the side of James' face, James tenderly holding the back of Teddy's hand to keep it in place, staring into each others eyes and smiling. Teddy's hair a powdery pastel blue, the roots of it a candied pink, he looked like some kind of cartoon character, but fuck, it looked good on him.

Why did Teddy Lupin have to fucking exist? Tall Teddy Lupin with his leather jackets and perfectly broadened shoulders, layered in muscle developed from his years of working as an Auror but still somehow slim, probably a little slimmer than James, who had more muscle build from his time playing Quidditch.

Perfect Teddy Lupin with his multicolored hair with that stupid fringe that swiped stupidly over his forehead. His stupid skin like cream, bitten by the sun, his eyes somehow soft even when they flashed a brilliant red while locked on Drew. He was terrifying, Drew could just feel how dangerous he was, he could feel the intensity of Teddy's magic.

Teddy was a nice guy, always had been, he was sweet like any Hufflepuff, but Drew tasted something sour when their eyes met, because Teddy scared him. Crossing him wouldn't be a wise thing to do. So Drew left. Not because he wanted to, but because if he stayed and pushed Teddy any more, he'd probably end up hexed, or worse.

Compared to Teddy, who was a skilled Auror and duelist, the biggest skill Drew had immediately was how fast he could fly, and smack in the middle of Muggle London, flying wasn't exactly an option.

He left, but he didn't give up, mailing James tickets to his debut game playing for the Falmouth Falcons. Not that James watched a lot of the game. Whenever Drew looked towards the stands where he saw James settle, he would see the other Potter's, but no James. No Teddy Lupin either.

It wasn't till the end of the game, a fast game that ended with the rival Seeker sporting a bloody nose, and one of Drew's beaters cradling a dislocated jaw, that he found James. Still dressed in his Quidditch robes and dragging himself towards the lockers, his eyes catching a pastel blue and turning his head, mortified to find Teddy Lupin and James under the bleachers, arms wrapped around each other and faces red.

James was grinning, Drew had never seen him grin like that, arms wound behind Teddy's neck, one hand in his hair and foreheads pushed together. Snogging. Drew felt nauseous. What the hell were they doing in public like that? Fucking disgusting.

Why did they have to wrap around each other like that? Hold each other? Teddy's hands were on James’ waist, who did he think he was? Holding James like he was some damsel? What was James doing knotting his fingers through Teddy's hair? What was the point of that?

He never used to do that with Drew. Granted it was because Drew told him not to, he didn't want his hair to get too messed up in case someone got suspicious. Teddy didn't seem to have that concern. Drew seethed, he very nearly stormed over to interrupt them, until he was pushed along by one of his team.

He threw his broomstick down when he reached the lockers, tearing the goggles from over his head and chucking them into his locker as his team sent him idle looks but didn't approach.

“What's got you bothered, Monroe?” His captain asked finally, and Drew dropped onto the bench as he started to loosen the gloves on his hands.

“Nothing.”

A lot. Everything. Teddy fucking Lupin. That's what had him bothered. What did that half breed mutt have that Drew didn't?

“Don't worry too much. We'll kick their asses next time!”

Next time, why would Drew care about that? He had better things to worry about. Like stealing back a snogging partner he inexplicably only wanted when someone else had him. More to get back at Teddy than anything else it felt like.

Drew dragged his feet, the last to leave the lockers, pausing when he noticed the girl waiting for him. He recognized her, the neat, wavy black hair, pale skin and piercing eyes, lips painted blood red and clothes entirely black aside from the blue accents on her cloak and the bronze raven clasp at her chest.

“Brutal game, Drew.”

“What in Godric's name do you want?”

“Was wondering if we could chat over a fire whiskey.” Her heels clicked the ground ominously as she approached Drew, a hand appearing from under her cloak and holding out a small white notecard.

Drew took it, staring at the aviary bird stamped there in blue and bronze. It looked familiar, but he couldn't figure out why, and that bothered him. It wasn't a raven or an eagle, he knew that much. His eyes snapped back to the woman, another Ravenclaw from his graduating class. She'd always been eerie to say the least. She just got weirder during their sixth year.

“What is it you wanted to chat about then?”

“How desperate are you feeling right now?”

“I don't feel desperate.” Drew tossed the card back at her, but it stopped before it could hit her and she lifted her hand to take it again.

“You're an intelligent wizard, you have useful skills. You scored decent marks in all your exams.

“So?”

“So I could use that.” Her finger traced around the sharp end of the notecard, “What do you know about dark magic , Mr. Monroe?”


End file.
